Screamers: Begginnings
by Thats-the-guy-99
Summary: Loving the original movie, I decided to expand on the story... I added some weird twists to the movie...


Screamers: Beginnings   
  
In the beginning, there was sin…   
  
The idea of sin was something invented by man in order to create law. However, even into man's future law did not solve everything. Wars broke out around the world and civil unrest touched a chord in every person. There had to be a way to solve man's desire for pain and suffering.   
  
Most of the people on Earth went back to the concept of competition and wealth. One solution to end unrest was to be powerful. In addition, since Earth was physically, poor and weak due to the small amount of resources it encompassed. This meant the accumulation of wealth had to begin, by any means.   
  
Therefore, when the option to colonize and mine other planets presented itself, humans took it. The peoples of Earth decided to acquire this wealth by colonizing worlds far from their own. Believing that they could hold off the prospects of war by working together for a common good, Earth colonized many planets. One such planet was designated Sirius 6B. However, even on this faraway planet difficulties arose.   
  
War broke out again, but this time it was between mineworkers and a corporation known as the New Economic Block or simply "N.E.B." The mineworkers of Sirius 6B realized troubles when the substance they were mining turned out to be poisonous. The miners complained about this and yet, the "N.E.B." corporation demanded that the complaints stop and the mining continue.   
  
After many more arguments with the "N.E.B." corporation, the miners realized that they would not be any simple solutions. Therefore, like others in their history, they turned to war to alleviate the problem. The miners created the "Alliance" made up of mineworkers and scientists to fight against the "N.E.B." corporation. The "N.E.B." corporation bought soldiers to suppress the uprisings.   
  
The first battles of Sirius 6B took place on the surface of the planet. "N.E.B" Using every technique available to the "Alliance", they managed to keep the war ongoing for ten years. The "Alliance" used specific weapons and guerilla tactics to hurt the "N.E.B." forces. Slowly, support for the miners spread throughout Earth. And, after much debate, Earth scientists decided to aid the workers. The Earth scientists sent over plans to eliminate any loss of life on the side of the "Alliance" with the use of new robotics.   
  
  
  
In man's history, there was one great achievement, which was not life, but death…  
  
  
  
Soon, the mineworkers would use the plans to create the "SWORD" to replace human sacrifice in battle. And, in the wake of the workers achievement, there was death. The "SWORD" was a robotic device that attacked from under ground and as it did, it created a disturbing shrieking sound, which soon dubbed it the "SCREAMER". Hundreds of these Screamers soon tore through the ranks of the "N.E.B." army and decimated the "N.E.B." threat.   
  
However, right before the end of the war, a new war began on another mining planet. This caused many people on Earth to forget the struggles of the "Alliance" and let them slip into isolation. Not long after that, the Screamers turned the tide of the war; they started to evolve by themselves. Screamers had been built with the ability to learn by themselves. They had also been built with the ability to use the meat and flesh of animals. This also included using the dead soldiers that they killed during battle.  
  
After a short time, Screamers began having the need to become freer. Quickly, they started reprogramming themselves to adapt to new conditions and to create new strategies for survival. To accomplish this, they strived to eliminate any threat to their new philosophies, which included the need to destroy the "Alliance". The mineworkers had just wanted to use the Screamers as another tool in their war.   
  
However, the Screamers decided to take control of their own lives. Some Screamers wanted to become more human. They wanted to look and sound more human. They started to change their form from small rat like saws in the ground to humanoid clone machines. They replicated other human life forms that they had previously killed. With this ability, they soon made it to Earth undetected.   
  
After a short time, the Screamers spread around the planet. With some more time, they planned their attack. And, after a successful campaign, the Screamers soon determined the fate of man. This fate was a life of slavery and the Screamers used humans as their fuel. Like the first Screamer, they sliced diced and gutted humans to extract the usable materials.   
  
  
  
As time went on the machines accepted their place as the humans masters…  
  
A century after the last great war, humans are almost entirely enslaved. Some humans have been left alone due to no detectable threat factor given to the sizeable machine army. Screamers appear more human and act more human then ever. They have quarrels amongst themselves. Some quarrels involve the fate of the humans.   
  
In the last century, some Screamers had developed a friendship with enslaved humans. One such example occurred on the planet Sirius 6B. A human plantation called "Harvest 101" has been allowing humans to live along side with other Screamers. This had troubled the elder machines at first, but now that there are other troubles like the mysterious plague, which destroys entire human plantations in a matter of days. There has been no time to deal with the problem.  
  
Sirius 6B seems to be the eighth planet that has contracted the disease. This disease causes the human body to decompose and mutate. Quickly, it was discovered that the human specimens with the disease die and somehow reanimate. What made things terrible for the machines was that their fuel source was no longer usable.  
  
Now, on the plantation called "Harvest 101" where humans and Screamers coexist, the two sides have suddenly been forced to deal with this plague. The two sides consist of six Screamers that have learned to eat the meat of cattle, and fifteen humans, that have learned to enjoy the company of the thoughtful and transcendent machines.  
  
Heaven is what you make of it, and that goes the same for Hell…   
  
Nestled by the snowy sand dunes of Plateau Nervosa was the plantation "Harvest 101". The plantation consisted of eight structures, surrounded by a six-meter high wall, which was one meter thick. The entire cultivated area was five hundred meters in diameter. There was only one entrance to the plantation and it rarely opened. At the core of the plantation was a massive cylindrical solar energy generator, which stood five meters high and was about three meters in diameter.   
  
The solar generator hummed and clanked as it supplied the plantation with the needed amount of energy to sustain its inhabitants. The power it supplied ran through underground conduits that led to circuit breakers on each structure. North of the generator was the main gate entrance. To the left of the generator was a cluster of structures consisting of a medical edifice, residence/cafeteria edifice, and an assembly edifice. To the opposite side of the generator was a field of dead crops where a few malnourished cattle pined.   
  
Near the head of the grazing land were a storage place for the year's food and a shelter for the remaining cattle. Unluckily, for the residents of this plantation, the year's harvest was not as fine as they would have desired. Now, behind the solar generator were a communications station and a detention center. All of the structures housed within the plantation, except for the shelter, were dome shaped and no more than fifteen meters in diameter.  
  
A snowflake slowly drifted down from the gray sky above. It twirled and fell gently through the air. Sometimes the fragile flake caught an up draft and elevated up for a second. Then, the flake caught another draft of wind back down until it finally hit the sand packed ground. The clouds above the plantation suddenly let loose the remainder of their contents. Soon, the ground covered in white and the temperature dropped from a constant twelve degrees Celsius to a horrible twenty below.   
  
While united humanity has succeeded, however unity comes at a price…   
  
Gathered into the assembly edifice, were three families. Each family consisted of five unique individuals of all sizes and ages. At the head of the structure was a man who stood behind a podium. The man as well as everyone else appeared to be dressed in a tan colored winter outfit made out of rawhide. On their feet was a pair of white boots, which were tightly laced in double knots.  
  
The man behind the podium seemed to be addressing questions from the other persons in the room. His name was John Locke and at the moment, he was the chief of the three families. John's family consisted of one wife and three children, as did the other families. His wife's name was Marsha and just like John, she was born inside the plantation. Being born in the plantation went for everyone in this assembly edifice.   
  
John's oldest child and only son was John Jr. and he looked very similar to his father. He was also an eight-teen year old that was dating a girl by the name of Lindsey Molloy. The last two children in his family were girls named Suzan and Amy. They were a good bunch of girls who occasionally got into trouble. Suzan was sixteen and slightly flirtatious. Amy was eleven and slightly mischievous.  
  
Arguing for his family's sake and his hatred for John was a man named Vince Molloy. He was the angriest not to mention fatest man of the bunch. Much of the anger came about due to his lack of male children. Somehow, the man's genes produced females only; however, his wife Elaine did not have much of a problem with that.  
  
Vince's first child was his most precious one and her name was Lindsey. Lindsey was a beautiful brunette young woman of the age of eighteen. Vince resented that his daughter loved a Locke boy, but he couldn't really stop them from seeing each other. Therefore, he just took a liking to hating John.   
  
Vince had two other girls, which he took as much effort to keep away from the boys. His second oldest daughter who was only a year younger than the first was Kelly. His last daughter was considerably younger, her name was Connie and she was nine years old. All of his girls were bright and yet, fragile at the same time. They were all dad's girls and proud of it.   
  
The final family, remained somewhat silent, except for when they had the occasional question, but that was rare. The head of this family was a man named Markus Neil. This strong sturdy man had only boys who were all of the same stature. He and his wife loved their boys very much. His wife Diana was a woman of thin proportions, but was quite strong for a woman. This factored into the boys physical attributes.  
  
Markus's boys started with Nolan, the oldest child of eighteen years. Ever since Lindsey started dated John Jr., Nolan has expressed a tad of jealously towards him. The next boy was Matthew who was sixteen years old and rather smart when it came to electronics. And, last but not least, Ayden the most adorable boy of the bunch and the most mischievous of all the children on the plantation.  
  
"Okay, I'm not sure how we would go about accomplishing this, but I'm positive that Edger would want to help us." John was uttering to the crowd. "Hell, I think Edger wants us to stay. I mean it's safer here than out there!" Vince hollered out. "Now, I've spoken with him and he's told me that it's up to us if we want to go." John stated. "Shit, I say we stay here. Why leave the planet when we got a good thing going…" Vince spat out, but stopped abruptly as he spotted the plantation's six owners.   
  
Entering through the automated sliding doors were the six machines or Screamers that treated the plantation as their home. Each one of the machines appeared and acted human, but they were a bit more superior. For example, they were all stronger, faster and had weapons concealed within their own bodies.   
  
First humanoid Screamer was Edger who was designated the leader of this plantation a few decades ago. He was also the one to liberate the humans and decide to make peace with them. The second humanoid through the door was Prima; she is the agricultural and science expert of the plantation. The second science member was Joshua who was the best friend of Edger and yet, he kept a secret from him out of respect.   
  
Fourth through the door was Adie; she's the communications expert of the facility and jokester of the group. Following behind her was the last two members of the group. They were both security officers who did not do much these days since Edger freed the humans; there has not been much need for security.   
  
First was Sven, the dumber of the two officers; his body held many weapons that made him very dependable. Last was Cyrus, a rather moronic machine; his body held fewer amounts of weaponry, but was capable of many things. If the plantation ever needed defending quick, those were most capable of handling the job.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry that we interrupted. Vince, please continue." Edger insisted as he and the other stood in the back. Vince hesitated a moment, but quickly got back into his mood. "Like I was saying. I think we should stay here. Screw the plague!" Vince exclaimed as he sat down.   
  
"Screw…screw the plague. This could mean life and death. From what I heard from Edger the plague is spreading and it's heading this way!" John argued. "Horse shit, I bet it hasn't left Sirius City. Anyways, the Screamers are leaving, that should be a good sign. No offense." Vince mentioned, as he looked Edger's way. Edger shook his head and continued to watch, as the arguments got hotter.   
  
"Vince, you won't go along with it just because John's son is seeing your daughter." Markus joined in just then and the two people he spoke of started blushing. "Stay out of this Neil!" Vince warned. "Honey please." Elaine scoffed. "Quiet Elaine, this is none of your business." Vince said with a fire in his belly.   
  
"Alright, alright! I say we give this a break for now. We should probably wait a few days before we try this again. Perhaps we'll be more clear headed." Edger proposed. Everyone turned to him and nodded in agreement. "Oh, be careful as you travel back to the housing edifice. There's quite a bit of snow outside." Edger advised the families as they slowly filed out the door.  
  
The humanoid looked at his fellow machines and sighed. "Let's go, we done all we can here." The machines followed the others outside as the snow fell faster than before.   
  
Man is blind to many things, and sometimes it takes a wall to point that out…  
  
The housing/cafeteria edifice was home to the three families and six Screamers. All the family members slept in bunk beds on the right side of the building. Across from them were the cafeteria and one lone staircase that led to the lower levels where the machines slept. However, one man and machine not asleep were John and Edger. John was invited to Edger's office to speak about the meeting that had occurred an hour before.   
  
"John, do you think we should be talking about these matters. The plague is spreading, but we shouldn't worry everyone about this. Can you please hold off the next meeting for a few days?" Edger requested from behind his metallic desk. "I realize that, but I think I should tell everyone about the situation that is happening around us. You can't deny it, we are in trouble." John declared.   
  
Edger nodded at the man's response and leaned back a bit in his chair. "You know, Harvest 99 was abandoned this morning. The plague's getting closer." Edger mentioned quietly. Just then, a solemn expression appeared on John's face and he looked up a bit. "How many does it make that?"  
  
"Four hundred and thirty-one plantations out of six hundred are currently infected. Now, it's heading this way."  
  
"My God…"  
  
"I honestly don't know when it'll get here, but it will."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"We wait." Edger answered in a poignant manner.  
  
John stood up and started walking towards the exit. "Leaving?" Edger asked. "Oh sorry. But, I'm kind of tired." John replied with a yawn. "Did I ever tell you what happened to the families I allowed to leave eight years ago?" Edger questioned. "No, what happened to them?" John responded curiously. "They died." Edger resolved. "Oh…" John said as he slowly turned around.   
  
"Good night, John."  
  
"Night, Edger…"  
  
Sometimes humanity tries to warn itself of danger, but it usually falls on deaf ears…  
  
It was early in the morning as Adie sat at her post in the communications station. Like every other day, she spent time scanning the many radio frequencies from the other plantations. And, like every other day, she never received any communications. She sighed and lowered her head down on her control panel. I'll just have a little nap, she thought.   
  
Adie laid her head down, allowing the white noise and the clatter of beeps to put her to sleep gently. She reached back into her memory banks of eight years ago. She pulled up the file called, "Let live or let die." Inside, were pictures of husbands, wives, sons and daughters. Each picture had its own profile and personal message to her. With a mellow sigh and a quick twitch of her head, she pulled up the file called, "Edger."  
  
Why had he let them go? Why, when he knew the others would never accept free slaves? Why did he not want us to leave now? Wasn't the plague enough reason to leave? Is his pride to great, she thought? Suddenly, a noise on the outside of her mind, in the real world caught her attention. Quickly, she placed her files back into an encrypted folder and awoke from her nap.   
  
Adie blinked as she heard a voice coming from a headset on the control panel and quickly, placed the headset over her ears. Hurriedly, she pressed some buttons on the panel and started to respond to the voice. "Hello, hello. Who is this?" She listened carefully, but no response. Adie repeated what she had said, but as before, there was no response.   
  
Adie sighed as she lowered the headset onto the panel. What was that, she thought? Suddenly, the voice came back over the radio and quickly, she placed the headset over her ears. "Help, help! T-this is H-harvest 88 and we need help!" As Adie responded, she pressed the record button on the panel. "Hello, who is this? Can you be more specific?"  
  
"T-this is S-Sid Corry of H-harvest 88 and we need h-help." the voice replied with a slight stutter. "Are you human?" Adie asked.   
  
"W-what does that matter?"  
  
"It doesn't, I just wanted to be sure. Where are your masters?"  
  
"What… W-well, I don't know. G-gone I guess, but that doesn't matter. These things are eating us. Do you understand me? These things are eating us alive, but their already dead. These damn things are dead. S-shit their in…"   
  
"Hello Sid, are you still there?"  
  
"…"  
  
"Sid?"   
  
Adie sat there a moment and listened to the silence coming from the other end of the frequency. The white noise frightened her a bit and quickly, she removed the head set. Slowly, she pressed the record button again, which deactivated it and closed her eyes. Inside, her mind started to process the message as she activated her communications program.   
  
Hastily, she tapped into the file called, Edger. This sent a mental radio message to her commander. She called on him to hurry to the communications station. A few minutes later, Edger arrived with a curious expression on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked. Still tapped into the communications program, Adie replied with another telepathic message. It's a distress call, I think, she responded.  
  
"Please Adie, don't do that. Remember, since we have human guests, we don't talk like that." Edger replied with a simper. Adie shook her head with and opened her eyes as she responded in a better manner. "Sorry, Ed. This message I just received sounds like a distress call from some humans at Harvest 88."  
  
"Some humans? Well, we can't help them. Do you have the message recorded?" Edger asked. Adie nodded and replied the message. "Huh… it sounds like the plague has gotten another plantation." Edger said with a sigh. "Should we tell the others?" Adie questioned. "No, not yet. We don't want to worry everyone-"  
  
"You mean the humans, right?"  
  
"Yes…" Edger replied.  
  
Edger placed his hand on Adie's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Please Adie, don't mention this to anyone. I don't want to alarm them. Please…" Edger requested. With a sigh and hand on Edger's cheek, she looked at him and nodded. "Don't worry, not a word will be spoken." Adie replied. Edger nodded in return and started for the door. "Not a word…" he stated. "Not a word." Adie repeated.   
  
Somewhere, crossing the many sandy dunes of the planet is an evil like no other…   
  
The rotting corpse, who had once been known as Fred, ran across the sandy mounds in response to a scent that watered its mouth. It was not alone as it traversed over the sandy region. Following not far behind were a small pack of about six other corpses. Each one smelled of rotten flesh and muscle with bit of dry blood that streaked their tattered clothing.   
  
One creature was actually naked, but that did not stop it, as it did not care for such things. It only had the need to feed. The bright sun, which sizzled on the creatures' bodies, caused them to reek of an even fouler smell. They moaned and even hissed a bit as they darted through the sand. The corpse at the head of the pack smelled the scent of humans not far off. Perhaps only a few miles away, but that was close enough.   
  
The rotting corpse's face seemed rather dazed as half of its tongue hung out of its decomposing mouth. The creature's eyes were gray and slightly glazed over. The thing's head had hair, which hung on by a few strands. Its half-gone nose kept the smell alive in its brain, which was perhaps the only thing that kept these things going. That and the hunger problem, which seemed too never, go away.   
  
With a loud moan, the creature fell onto its face, which added a small thud. Soon, the rest of the creatures plunged as well. They all fell into a small pit of about three meters in depth that they had not seen; however, even if they had seen it, they were to idiotic to go around it. Fred got back up and continued its race for nourishment by leaping out of the pit. It possessed a power not currently available to the living variety.   
  
Not long after Fred escaped the pit, the others leaped out of it as well and were already on the trail for uninfected flesh. A large sand dune with a bit of snow soon came into the creatures view. Yet, they continued without haste, rest, or even without a breath. As they reached the top of the cold snowy dune, the sight of a plantation far in the distance presented itself. And, the creatures continued.   
  
Man's greatest fear is not from the outside, but from within…   
  
The sun was beginning to disappear behind the horizon as Amy Locke, Connie Molly and Ayden Neil, the youngest in their respected families danced around an old moldy carrot in the field. "Do you want to scare the cows now?" Amy asked with glee. "I guess so." Connie replied as she stopped her dancing. "Finally!" Ayden exclaimed as he started for the skinny cattle, which were standing by themselves in the corner of the dead field.  
  
"Hey cow, I'm coming for you!" the young boy yelled with his arms pointed out in front of him. The poor malnourished animal appeared rather frightened as it spotted the young dark-haired boy running towards it. It mooed and started to flee with its companions in tow. "Aw, come on! Don't run away!" Ayden said with a grin. He turned to his friends just then and noticed that they just stood frozen stiff.   
  
"Come on, let's go get him." Ayden demanded. However, his two friends just stared intently behind him. "What…what is it?" Ayden questioned as he turned around. Squatting on the top of the wall was a figure that was somewhat concealed by the setting sun. Only a silhouette of a man was visible in the young children's eyes. The figure seemed to be turning its head from side to side as if searching for something. Then, the figure raised its head up and sniffed the air.  
  
"What the…" Ayden commented as he backed away from the figure on the wall. As he pasted the girls by, Connie asked, "Is that a man?" Amy turned to the girl and motioned her to back away like Ayden. "But…" Connie said as a moan came out of the figure's mouth. The three children turned to it as it leaped into the air landed atop Connie.   
  
The creature fell onto its victim with a groan and opened its mouth in order to bite down on the young girl's flesh. Screaming in anguish, Connie cried for help from her friends; however, they just stood there, frozen.   
  
Without warning, anything can change; this includes one's life…   
  
  
  
Walking out of the medical edifice, Edger heard a child's cry. "No, no. Please, no. It can't be." Edger said aloud as he ran toward the field. Without paying attention, he let out an emergency telepathic signal to the other Screamers. In response, the others came rushing out of whatever building they had been in and started for the field as well.   
  
Edger was the first to reach the wounded child on the ground, who was being mauled by some unknown figure. "Get off her!" the machine demanded with a harsh voice. He dashed over to the figure and grabbed it by the back of the throat. The thing turned to Edger and tried snapping at his arm. "What the hell…" Edger commented as he kept the thing at arms length.   
  
The thing snapped at Edger and even started scratching him. Suddenly, an automatic defense system within Edger kicked in. His mouth opened and he began screaming with a piercing shriek that made the two standing children cover their ears. Immediately, his face started to morph into an almost devil like expression, which included sharp shark like teeth and cat like eyes.  
  
Without warning, Edger's arms split in two, from in between his middle and index finger, down to his elbow. The arms revealed two circulating saws, which buzzed as they rapidly spun around. These two saws tore into the creature and it moaned with a feeling of awkwardness. The thing was not sure if it liked the feeling, but it was not a very new feeling. The feeling slightly resembled the hunger it had now.  
  
Quickly, the arms of the creature fell to the ground as Edger sliced them off. The creature remained alive and moaned just as much as ever. It kept coming toward Edger, who continued to slice and dice the creature's remaining limbs off. Soon, it was on the ground with only its head still attached to the torso. It still moaned and gnawed the air as all of the others surrounded them. Just then, Edger started to change back into his normal self.   
  
"Oh my God… Connie!" hollered out a horrified Vince Molloy. However, Edger kept staring at the creature on the ground as the man took his motionless, bloody girl in his arms. "What is that?" Cyrus asked. "I think it's an infected carrier of the plague." Edger sighed. "I knew it." John Locke commented with a look of despair.   
  
"Oh, for God's sake, help me!" Vince yelled as he and his wife held their dying child in their hands. Edger snapped back to reality and started with his commands. "Prima, do what you can with Molloy's daughter. Cyrus and Sven let us see if there are anymore of these things around the plantation. And, as for everyone else, get to the housing facilities. And, don't open the doors for anyone!"   
  
As everyone began running in all directions, Edger noticed a few more figures squatting atop the wall. "Look…" he said as he pointed toward the figures. "Let's get'em!" Sven cried out. His cry quickly morphed into a scream that pierced the night sky. The sun had already disappeared as the new figures leaped off the top of the wall and landed near the Screamers.   
  
With Sven's battle cry flaring, his chest slowly retracted revealing three neck thick circular saws, which sprung out towards the creatures. The saws ripped through his leather jacket and whirled through the air. The nearest creature let out a moan as a saw shredded into its neck, decapitating the beast. The two parts fell onto the ground with a thump and this inspired Edger.  
  
"Screamers, aim for the head!" Edger ordered with a loud roar. Cyrus knelt down as a creature came towards him with an increasing speed. Knelling on his left knee, Cyrus watched as his right calf opened up revealing a large metal baton sharpened to a point. He grabbed the baton and pulled it out, as the creature was only a few feet away. "Eat this dead beat!" Cyrus declared as he stuck the baton's point in the thing's mouth and through the thing's brain.   
  
Bursting out the top of the creature's head was the batons sharpened point. Brain matter slid down the baton and onto Cyrus's hand. "Huh…" Cyrus commented as he pulled the baton out. The thing fell over on its side and twitched for a moment. Edger smiled at his own doings, which was a dead creature on the ground in front of him with a head that split in two.   
  
Fighting for someone's life is always difficult, especially when that person is already dead…   
  
  
  
"Oh, God no. No, no, no… please no…" Vince pleaded on his hands and knees. He was next to the table where his lifeless girl laid. On her naked little body were bite wounds that covered her neck, shoulders and face. Each wound seemed deep and bloody. "Can't you do something?" asked a teary-eyed Elaine Molloy, who was now hugging her husband tightly.   
  
Standing next to the table, Joshua and Prima looked with pity upon their human friends. "I'm sorry, she's dead." Prima assured her with as much compassion as possible. "No, you're lying!" Vince yelled out as he stood up. "Oh Vince…" Elaine cried. "She still has life." Vince acknowledged. "No, she's dead." Joshua interjected. "You have to except that." Prima added. "Oh God." Vince said as he noticed a twitch from his dead girl.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Elaine screamed as Connie's eyes opened. "What the hell?" Joshua stated as he backed away from the table. The young girl's upper body rose and she turned to her father, who was standing surprised. Vince's jaw dropped and slowly, he asked, "Is that you, baby?" The girl moaned loudly as she jumped for her father.   
  
"Joshua help me!" Prima said as she also jumped at the man. Connie landed in her father's arms, but with her mouth still open, she lowered her head to chomp on the man's neck. "What…" Vince gasped as his daughter bit down on his neck. Blood rushed into the dead girl's mouth and Vince's scream filled her ears. Just then, Prima grabbed the girl and flung her across the room into a cabinet. "Joshua, kill it!" Prima ordered as Vince fell to his knees.  
  
"My baby bit me. My baby bit me…" Vince gasped as he fell onto his back. He stared at his wife's eyes and she looked at him with a horrified expression. "Kill it, Josh!" Prima yelled. Joshua had never used his defensive weapons and had not planned to use them. "Oh, move." Prima said shoving the scrawny machine to the side. She grabbed a scalpel from a pan next to the table and turned to the girl.   
  
The dead girl hissed and moaned as she leaped into the air towards her mother. She landed atop her father, who was still slightly alive and snapped her hungry mouth at her mother. "No…" Elaine stated as she backed away. "Move towards me." Prima ordered as she hopped over the surgical table. She came within striking distance of the small girl and struck hard against the thing's chest.   
  
The girl moaned as it fell back onto the floor and yet, she was still alive. She rolled onto her back and felt the warmness of her father's head exhilarating. Biting down on Vince's forehead, the dead girl used her tongue to move the bloody flesh to her throat where she swallowed it. "Get away from him damn it!" Prima yelled as she pulled the creature up. The dead girl had a piece of her father's forehead dangling out of her mouth.   
  
With an anger that intensified by the second, Prima pushed in the dead girl's head, which crushed it into a gory pulp. The dead girl's eyes popped out and her brains oozed onto Prima's hands. "Is he okay?" Elaine asked as she started sobbing. Prima dropped the girl and turned to Joshua. "Get her out please." Prima requested of Joshua. He nodded and grabbed Elaine by the shoulders as he escorted her out.  
  
Taking in a large breath of putrid air with a scent of rotting flesh, Prima looked down at Vince. She noticed a slight twitch in the man and sighed. "Sorry…" Prima said as she stomped down on the man's head.   
  
The truth to man's purpose always reveals itself after much difficulty…   
  
Sitting in Edger's office, Edger and John sat eye to eye. "I think it's clear that we have to go." John stated. Edger nodded with a tear in his eye and replied, "Yes, there's no denying it now." Edger stood up and walked around his desk until he stood in front of it. Leaning against the desk, Edger scratched his head and said, "We leave tomorrow."   
  
John stood up as well and extended his hand. "What's this?" Edger asked curiously. "Shake it." John stated. "Oh, yes…" Edger said as he shook John's hand. John turned away and started to walk toward the door. "John…" John turned around just then. "I'm sorry…" Edger replied. John nodded and walked out the door. Edger turned back around and faced his desk. He sighed and a second later, he heard the door slide open.   
  
"John…" Edger said as he turned around, but was surprised to see Joshua standing in the doorway. "Oh, Joshua. Why are you here?" Edger questioned. "I messed up today. I think I'm partly responsible for Vince's death." Joshua confessed. "Don't worry its okay. I'm at fault, not you. Now, please tell the other Screamers to get ready for the human's trip tomorrow." Edger ordered. "You're actually going to let them go?" Joshua asked.   
  
"Yes, I've waited to long." Edger confirmed. "Now, hurry. There's much work to be done." Edger requested. Joshua nodded and turned to the door. He felt awkward to leave his friend behind in such a state of misery.   
  
It is inevitable to deny one's purpose, especially if it is your only choice…   
  
The sun was directly overhead; however, the clouds covered the bright star. Standing in front of the main gate of the plantation "Harvest 101," were all of its inhabitants. Each person had on large winter clothing with a small backpack of supplies on their backs. "So, I guess this is where we part." John said as he took the map from his friend's hand. John placed the map into his breast pocket and grabbed his new weapon from around his shoulder.  
  
John held an "Alliance" made M-8 Carbine Assault Rifle with a scope capable of 10xZoom. The M-8 Carbine was an ancient rifle capable of holding a magazine of fifty rounds. The bullets consisted of steel tip explosive rounds. Each man and woman of at least seventeen years had the M-8 slung over his or her shoulders. Sven and Cyrus had saved and maintained these weapons, which had been around since 2065.   
  
"Not exactly." Edger replied. "What does that mean?" John responded. Edger looked up just then and spotted a snowflake drifting down to the ground. "We're going with you." Edger answered with a grin. "Those ghouls out there might be a little to much for you to handle alone. So, we're coming with you."  
  
"Really?" John questioned not really thinking it was true. "I wouldn't lie to you my friend." Edger stated as he looked back down. "This journey will take eighteen days and we'll have to traverse many dangers. Including, the ancients' temples." Edger added. "I know and we all understand the risks. It's better to get off this planet than to stay here with its disease." John assured Edger.   
  
A snowflake touched Edger's face and he looked back up. He noticed many more flakes falling and smiled. "I hope Lindsey and Elaine will be alright." John mentioned. Edger looked back down and turned to his friend. "Vince was a good man, and I know he raised a good strong family. As for Lindsey, she's got your son to be with." Edger responded and John nodded at that. They stood there for a while until Edger decided it was time to leave.  
  
"Alright, let's move. We have a long ways to go and not much daylight left to get there!" Edger hollered. "Open those doors Sven!" The screamer ordered. With a metallic screeching of the large doors sliding open, the small column of people moved out. The nineteen travelers soon stepped out into the sandy ground, which many had never set foot on before.   
  
As Edger pasted through the large doors, he looked back for a second. A slight feeling of anger, loneliness and pity swept through his body. Edger watched as the automated doors began to close shut and with a sigh, he said, "Goodbye…"  
  
The End 


End file.
